Iran

Ali Mohammadi/Bloomberg News

Iran, known as Persia until 1935 and now officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, is the second-largest nation in the Middle East by population; Iraq shares a border, along with historical and religious ties, with Iraq.

Iran has been a quasi-theocracy since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, which deposed Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran. Democratically elected President Hassan Rouhani is head of the republic, but divine leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei controls the military, the judiciary and the state broadcasting services. Shiite Islam is the state religion of Iran, with Sunni Muslims constituting a very small minority of the nation.

Iran continues to face international criticism for not adhering to the requirements of United Nations Security Council resolutions regarding its nuclear facilities and its uranium enrichment program.

Keep up to date on breaking news in Iran and explore our extensive archive below.

Chronology of Coverage

Jul. 31, 2015

Rep Dan Kildee, outspoken advocate for prisoner Amir Hekmati and other Americans held or missing in Iran, has decided to vote in favor of Iran nuclear accord; his assessment of deal is important because debate in Congress over whether to support it has become entangled with prisoner issue. MORE

Jul. 30, 2015

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius visits Iran to forge closer economic and political ties; receives warm welcome despite being criticized there during nuclear pact talks for urging country to make more concessions so sanctions could be lifted. MORE

Jul. 30, 2015

Gen Martin E Dempsey tells Senate Armed Services Committee that although nuclear deal with Iran will not prevent all dangers, it is still best way to relieve risk of military conflict between US and Iran; hearing, at which Sec of State John Kerry spoke, gave Senate Republicans who support resolution to disapprove pact their first chance to publicly question top military officials on the agreement. MORE

Jul. 30, 2015

Nicholas Kristof Op-Ed column examines and counters fierce conservative arguments against nuclear agreement with Iran; argues that while deal is flawed, it certainly provides greater safety, and could lead to eventual liberalization in Iran; adds that deal does not exacerbate threat to Israel. MORE

Jul. 29, 2015

Jason Rezaian, Washington Post reporter on trial in Iran on espionage charges, may have exacerbated his egregious circumstances by cultivating contacts with government sources; his contacts and outgoing personality put him under scrutiny from many rivals in power structure, where foreign journalists are frequently assumed to be spies. MORE

Jul. 29, 2015

Rep Sander M Levin, Democrat of Michigan and longest-serving Jewish member of Congress, announces his support for Iran nuclear agreement; approval lends heft to deal. MORE

Jul. 29, 2015

Thomas L Friedman Op-Ed column describes how events of 1979 in Middle East, like Iran's Islamic Revolution and takeover of Mecca by Islamic extremists, continue to shape current events in region; maintains that Iran nuclear deal has potential to end that lasting influence, or to exacerbate it; suggests that both Iran and Saudi Arabia desperately need to discard 1979 ideologies or risk their own demise. MORE

Jul. 25, 2015

Sec of State John Kerry says nuclear deal he negotiated with Iran is in Israel's interest and expresses concern that Israel could become further isolated if it opposes deal, particularly if opposition results in deal being rejected by United States Congress; comments are met with criticism from some Israelis and experts. MORE

Jul. 24, 2015

Cabinet members deployed to Senate by Pres Obama mount first public defense of Iran nuclear deal; Sec of State John Kerry tells skeptical lawmakers that negotiated accord is only chance to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions, and that failure to enact agreement will isolate United States internationally. MORE

Jul. 24, 2015

News Analysis; Republicans loyal to Israel and distrustful of Pres Obama seem determined to sabotage nuclear deal with Iran before even knowing its details. MORE

Jul. 24, 2015

Iran Pres Hassan Rouhani defends nuclear deal in blunt remarks, saying accord is precise reason he was elected in 2013. MORE

Jul. 23, 2015

Washington Post petitions United Nations human rights panel for help seeking release of its Iran correspondent Jason Rezaian, who has been jailed in country for a year. MORE

Jul. 22, 2015

Jul. 22, 2015

Pres Obama criticizes opponents of Iran nuclear agreement, likening them to those who advocated for invasion of Iraq; argues that diplomacy, rather than rush to armed conflict, presents best chance of preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons; comments come in remarks to members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. MORE

Jul. 22, 2015

Thomas L Friedman Op-Ed column suggests that nuclear deal reached between Iran and United States is best option available and that American interests are best served by working within its framework to get most out of arrangement; offers ways to increase odds that deal will work out in favor of US. MORE

Jul. 21, 2015

Washington Post executive editor Martin Baron reports espionage trial of correspondent Jason Rezaian in Iran may be over soon, citing information from Rezaian's lawyer; arrested July 2015 and facing 20 years in prison, Rezaian has had three closed hearings over past two months and Iranian officials told his lawyer undated fourth hearing would most likely be last one. MORE

Jul. 21, 2015

United Nations Security Council unanimously votes to lift sanctions on Iran in accordance with recently-negotiated nuclear deal; resolution, which affects UN sanctions but not those imposed by United States or European Union, angers Israel and sets stage for battle in US Congress; European Union approves deal in first step toward lifting its own sanctions MORE

Jul. 21, 2015

Defense Sec Ashton B Carter visits Israel in order to reassure country that United States will maintain strong position against Iran even if nuclear deal is approved by Congress and sanctions are lifted. MORE

Jul. 21, 2015

Maj Gen Mohammad Ali Jafari, commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, strongly criticizes agreement on country's nuclear program, but his remarks are not expected to have serious affect on implementation of deal. MORE

Jul. 21, 2015

Investigation by New York State into work done by Promontory Financial Group for Standard Chartered threatens to call Promontory's credibility into question; investigation has led to subpoenas being issued to several Promontory employees regarding whether consulting firm helped obscure misconduct by Standard Chartered, which was suspected of processing billions of dollars for Iran and other sanctioned countries. MORE

Jul. 20, 2015

Sec of State John Kerry argues during talks in Vienna that United Nations Security Council should not be allowed to vote on lifting sanctions on Iran until after United States Congress has reviewed nuclear deal; argument is rejected by Iran, Russia and United States' European allies, complicating efforts by Kerry and Pres Obama to secure support for deal among Democrats. MORE

Jul. 17, 2015

Newly released WikiLeaks documents show Saudi Arabia's global attempts in recent years to undermine its main enemy, Shiite Iran; documents portray comprehensive competition with deep roots in religious ideologies that drive two countries; array of oil-funded operation illustrates Saudi's alarm at nuclear program deal reached by world powers with Iran. MORE

Jul. 17, 2015

News Analysis; analysts suggest that Israeli Prime Min Benjamin Netanyahu may benefit in short term from Iran nuclear deal because of voters' fears over the possible dangerous consequences. MORE

Jul. 17, 2015

Iran's hard-liners say they will probe country's nuclear agreement with United States and other world powers to look for loopholes 'arrogant' nations may have tried to slip into text. MORE

Jul. 17, 2015

Iranian nuclear deal includes so-called snapback mechanism that allows full raft of penalties to resume automatically, without Security Council vote, if Iran is perceived to violate any part of the pact. MORE

Jul. 17, 2015

More than 100 former American ambassadors are urging Congress to support nuclear deal reached with Iran, saying it could halt Tehran's development of nuclear weapon if properly implemented. MORE

Jul. 17, 2015

Editorial calls on Iran to release imprisoned Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian immediately and unconditionally; suggests that Rezaian's release would be important step, along with nuclear deal secured with United States, toward Iran once again becoming member of international community. MORE

Jul. 16, 2015

Nuclear accord reached between Iran and the United States was result of rare alignment of personalities and events that allowed for both sides to secure most of what they needed out of deal; key figures include Qaboos bin Said of Oman, who helped initiate talks, as well as Secretary of State John Kerry, Energy Secretary Ernest J Moniz, Ali Akbar Salehi, head of Iranian Atomic Energy Organization, and finally Pres Hassan Rouhani and Pres Obama, both of whom were eager for some kind of deal. MORE

Jul. 16, 2015

Direct involvement of Russian Pres Vladimir V Putin in Iran's nuclear agreement has burnished his diplomatic credentials even as he finds himself increasingly ostracized by West; Putin played key role in lifting 2010 arms embargo as part of agreement. MORE

Jul. 16, 2015

Pres Obama kicks off campaign to win domestic support for Iran nuclear deal with extensive question and answer session during formal news conference; suggests that many of deal's critics have not even read details of agreement; Obama has 60 days to win over skeptics ahead of Congressional vote. MORE

Jul. 16, 2015

Relatives of three American citizens who remain imprisoned in Iran express fresh optimism that nuclear agreement will clear pathway for their release; acknowledge that there have been no specific indicators regarding outlook for Amir Hekmati, Saeed Abedini and Jason Rezaian. MORE

Jul. 16, 2015

Obama administration has begun lobbying fellow Democrats and undecided lawmakers in support of nuclear deal with Iran; seeks not only to sustain veto but to acquire full 41 Senate votes necessary to block a resolution of disapproval; at bare minimum administration cannot lose more than 12 of 46 Democrats and independents if deal is to pass. MORE

Jul. 16, 2015

Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei comments for first time following nuclear agreement with his country, saying deal requires 'careful scrutiny'; statement seems to open space for hard-liners to criticize deal. MORE

Jul. 16, 2015

News Analysis; debate over Pres Obama's nuclear accord with Iran clarifies deep political divide between those who agree with his faith in diplomacy and those who see deal as unacceptable appeasement of untrustworthy foe; fate of deal, along with other diplomatic initiatives by Obama, will determine if negotiation can again emerge as effective tool in an historical era grown weary of war. MORE

Jul. 16, 2015

United Nations Security Council is expected to unanimously endorse nuclear agreement with Iran, move that will grant body increased momentum in Middle Eastern affairs; questions remain over deal's capacity to stabilize region; supporters say it will reduce underlying tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran, while critics argue that it will only make them worse. MORE

Jul. 16, 2015

Barriers to entry persist for Western businesses in Iran despite nuclear agreement, and influx of foreign investment is not expected in near future; nation's business culture has developed over 37 years of isolation, and is sometimes incompatible with outsiders; those companies interested in doing business there are expected to do extensive information gathering and due diligence before investing. MORE

Jul. 16, 2015

Pres Obama offers increased military aid to Israel as consolation prize following nuclear agreement with Iran that left Pres Netanyahu outraged; overtures are dismissed by Netanyahu, at least for time being, who says accepting them would be tantamount to blessing deal that he sees as deeply threatening to Israeli security. MORE

Jul. 15, 2015

News Analysis; nuclear accord with Iran represents leap of faith for Pres Obama, who is making gamble that by defusing country's nuclear threat, even if only for a decade or so, United States will have time to reshape adversarial relations; ultimate judgement is deemed to be mixed. MORE

Jul. 15, 2015

Iran and group of six countries including United States achieve historic deal to significantly limit Iran's nuclear capabilities for more than decade in return for lifting international oil and financial sanctions; Pres Obama vows accord is based on verification, not trust. MORE

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President Obama, on those who oppose the nuclear deal with Iran: “I’ve never been more certain about a policy decision than this one right here, but the politics are going to be tough if all of you don’t get active.”

As Iran and world powers including the United States try to reach a deal on nuclear controls in exchange for the lifting of sanctions, Iranians from all walks of life are watching and hoping for a new start.